CCB arrests Bannanje Raja's associate

Suspect was a conduit for money, arms in B'lore, M'lore

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) police have arrested an aide of Dubai-based underworld don Bannanje Raja recently. Sujith Pujari Kudkolli, 31, a resident of Nagarabhavi, is the arrested.

Acting on a tip-off, the police arrested him when he was allegedly leaving for Mangalore to hand over pistols to a few sharp shooters to kill a realtor who had refused to pay ransom to Raja. The police seized the pistols and some cash.Kudkolli, a native of Boliyuru in Mangalore, is a small-time realtor in Bangalore and is into chit fund business, besides being a LIC agent.

He did petty jobs in Mangalore before moving to the City, seven years ago. He was introduced to Raja by a person from Dubai.

In Bangalore, he came in contact with Jagadish Raje Urs, a resident of RT Nagar and an associate of Raja.

Kudkolli executed Raja’s tasks in Bangalore. He regularly received money, arms and ammunition from Raja’s men and ensured that the same reached respective destinations in Bangalore and Mangalore. He was in touch with Raja through Internet, mobile phone and landline phone, police said.

The High Grounds police had registered a case against him under the Arms Act in 2013. The police then recovered a pistol, a bike and a cellphone from him. Since then he was absconding, police said.

Based on Raja’s directions, Urs and Kudkolli contacted two sharp shooters from Uttar Pradesh after noted industrialist Satish Pai refused to pay ransom.

Urs and Kudkolli, with the help of the shooters, made an attempt on Pai’s life. One of the sharp shooters, Wasim, was arrested, while the other one, Sultan, managed to escape along with Urs and Kudkolli, police said.

While Urs is in judicial custody in connection with the murder of R N Nayak of Karwar, Sultan is still at large.

Kudkolli flew to Dubai and met Raja and his associates. He returned to Bangalore in September last. Since then, he regularly supplied money, arms and ammunitions to a few persons in Bangalore and Mangalore after receiving them from Raja.

Kudkolli would identify realtors, industrialists and businessmen in Bangalore and Mangalore and share their contact numbers with Raja, who would contact them and demand ransom. Kudkolli was paid through hawala for such acts.